


Eyes in the City Lights

by bmcgeeparker



Category: Blue Bloods (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:19:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29095650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bmcgeeparker/pseuds/bmcgeeparker
Summary: Jamie and Eddie assist with an undercover detail, which leads to some interesting situations and conversations. Inspired by Jake Scott's Favorite T-Shirt. Set somewhere in season 5 or 6. More details in the author's note.
Relationships: Edit "Eddie" Janko & Jamie Reagan, Edit "Eddie" Janko/Jamie Reagan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Hello again, everyone! This story was inspired by Jake Scott's song Favorite T-Shirt, but doesn't contain any lyrics. If you listen to the song before or after reading, you may be able to find the connection. For some reason, country songs tend to remind me of these two and I get lots of inspiration for them. I'm not sure I'm completely satisfied with the way this turned out, but I needed to have it out of my head. Haha. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> I'm setting this in either Season 5, some amount of time after Eddie's first fatal shooting, or somewhere in Season 6. They've skirted around the idea of having feelings for each other without outright saying it, but they are definitely very close friends who sometimes get jealous of other people in each other's lives. Another FF writer once called it 'the ambiguous haze of seasons 5-7' which I feel is the perfect description.
> 
> Also, Isaac McKenna is the McKenna that Eddie chose to ride with after Jamie went out with Dr. Lambchop in 05x04, saying he needed a female to pose as a hooker for a decoy unit. We never saw him, and he's never mentioned again, so I gave him a first name and something else to do. Lol.
> 
> Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own the rights to the show, the characters, the song, any of it. If I was that good of a writer, I wouldn't be posting fan fiction. I'm just a fan, not making any money or profit of any kind, having some fun with some of my favorite characters.

"Reagan! Janko! My office, please!" Sergeant Anthony Renzulli's voice rang out in the hall of the 12th precinct, causing the officers in question to spin around to face the sound, identical looks of confusion on their faces.

"Can you think of anything we did to get in trouble?" Eddie asked in a hurried whisper, smacking Jamie lightly on the upper arm as they walked back in the direction of the boss's office.

"Uh," Jamie stuttered to buy some time. "No, nothing comes to mind. You?"

"No, that's why I asked you," Eddie answered sarcastically.

Before either of them could say anything else, they reached the door of Renzulli's office. Without even realizing he was doing it, Jamie slowed his pace to let Eddie enter first. Most of the time, he wasn't even aware of this chivalrous habit, but Eddie's heart always fluttered a little at the gesture.

"Close the door, Harvard." He still had a foot in the hallway when he heard the command from his old T.O.

"What's up, Sarge?" Jamie couldn't help the flashback of a fairly recent occasion he had been in Renzulli's office with the door closed. Sarge was practically interrogating him about his feelings for Eddie, which seemed like a completely ridiculous idea at the time. He tried to roll his eyes at the memory, but instead they drifted to Eddie herself briefly. His stomach did a little jumping jack when he looked at her, but he told himself it was just anticipation for whatever it was on Renzulli's mind.

As the partners sat in the two chairs in front of Renzulli's desk, they shared a quick side-eye glance, something they did often. It was their own personal way of reassuring their partner, a silent reminder that they had each other's back. This didn't go unnoticed by Renzulli, of course, who had seen it many times in the halls of the precinct as well as in the street.

"Got an op I think you two might be good for," Renzulli started. "You want in?"

Jamie and Eddie looked at each other for a split second, unspoken agreement drifting between them, then turned back to the sarge. Jamie shrugged his shoulders and nodded for the both of them.

"Whatcha got, boss?"

… … … … …

A couple days later, Jamie and Eddie were sitting in a small conference room at the 12th precinct, waiting for the final briefing before the start of their sting operation. Jamie was reminded slightly of the first time he ever went undercover, receiving a similar briefing in a similar room, only this time there were just four officers involved. The only other people in the room were Renzulli and the two detectives in charge of the investigation that required the operation.

The other two officers were Kara Walsh and Isaac McKenna, both of whom Jamie and Eddie had worked with in recent months. Several young women had reported being assaulted at the same bar in the last month, so each officer had a post inside the bar. The senior detective began their final briefing.

"As you all know, all of these women gave the same description of their attacker. Early to mid-30's. Thick, dirty blond hair in waves. Green eyes and a small scar above his right eyebrow." Detective Blake handed Jamie a small stack of police sketches to pass out to the others.

"We don't have a name because he gives each woman a different alias," Blake continued, "but we do know he usually approaches the women when they are momentarily separated from their group, most often after they walk away from the bar to go back to their table, but sometimes on their way to the restroom or dance floor. So ladies, you will sit together at a table and act as natural as possible. This means you will split your time between the bar, the restroom, and the dance floor. And you don't always have to be together." Eddie nodded her understanding, as did Kara, though she seemed more stoic about it.

Jamie spoke up next. "Are McKenna and I supposed to sit near them?"

"Good question, Reagan," Blake replied. "No. He never approaches a woman when she's with other men. They're always alone or with other women, so you two will sit together at a table some distance away, but still in their line of sight. Preferably somewhere you can both see Janko and Walsh, as well as most of the rest of the bar."

This made Jamie feel slightly better. If he wasn't going to be near his partner, at least he could keep an eye on her at all times. He wasn't completely comfortable with Eddie acting as bait for sexual assault, given his knowledge of her history, but he knew she was tough and she was a good cop. He could have her back from the other side of the bar, hopefully just this once.

Blake continued explaining how things would work for the op.

"Ladies, you need to look nice. Not overly flashy, but enough to get his attention. Reagan and McKenna, you two should look nice, but casual. You need to blend in so you can keep an eye on what's happening around you without raising too many suspicions. Any questions?"

The four officers shared some looks among themselves, then turned back to Blake and all shook their heads.

"Right," Blake concluded. "We will have a van across the street from the bar from 9 PM tomorrow until the bar's last call at 3 AM. If nothing happens in that time frame, we'll call it a night and try again later. If you see the guy, we'll be outside waiting. All of you should be ready and at the bar between 9:00 and 9:30 tomorrow night. The four of you will be our only eyes and ears in there, so be vigilant at all times! Let's go get this guy!" With that, Blake closed the case folder containing all the files and walked out of the conference room, followed by his partner, who seemed more than happy to let Blake take the lead on this case.

Sergeant Renzulli moved to the front of the room to face his officers. "You've all got approval for three nights leave from patrol for this op, if needed. If he still hasn't been caught after that, assignments will be reassessed. I expect you all to do the 12th proud. Good luck."

The officers all nodded at their sergeant and stood to leave the conference room.

In the hall, Eddie chattered along animatedly. "Kara, wanna come by mine to figure out what we should wear? Tonight work for you?"

Kara nodded at the suggestion. "Sounds great, Janko. Let me go home and find my best options. I'll see you around 8 tonight."

"Perfect," Eddie smiled back. Once Eddie decided Kara wasn't so bad, the two had become kind of friends. Not as close as she was with Jamie, but closer than most other female friends she had.

"Got any ideas what you might wear, Janko?" Jamie's voice was right over her shoulder and she jumped just the slightest at the sound.

"I've got a couple ideas, Reagan. I may not even have to buy anything new," Eddie answered with a pleased smirk.

"Is that right?" Jamie offered a smirk of his own in reply.

"Don't sound so surprised! I have some club clothes," Eddie retorted, smacking Jamie's upper arm in indignation.

"So, you and Kara hanging out tonight. Guess I'll see you tomorrow then. At the bar." Jamie managed to keep the hurt out of his voice, but his eyes looked a little like a sad puppy, which tugged at Eddie's heart strings more than she wanted to admit.

"I mean, you could come by tomorrow evening before the meet. You know, offer your opinion. As a guy," she tacked on at the end. There was obvious hesitation in her voice, but it was rare that they went a whole 24 hours without seeing each other, even on their days off.

"Right. As a guy. I could do that," Jamie agreed with a shrug, also slightly hesitant. "Call me tomorrow and we'll work out the details," he finished, then headed to grab his bag from the locker room. Eddie went to retrieve her bag from the ladies' locker room and made her way home to collect some clothes for the fashion show with Kara.

… … … … …

The following evening, Eddie buzzed Jamie up to her apartment around 8 o'clock. They had agreed to travel part of the way to the bar together from her apartment before separating so they didn't appear to be there together. This also gave Jamie the opportunity to offer his opinion on her outfit, as they discussed the night before.

Jamie reached out to turn the knob on Eddie's door, as she usually left it unlocked after buzzing him up. To his surprise and confusion, it was locked. Furrowing his brow, he knocked instead, shouting, "Open up, Janko! It's me!"

"Sorry! I'm coming," Eddie yelled back, having 'forgotten' to unlock the door for him. She wanted to see the look on his face the moment he saw her, and the only way to be certain she did was to leave him waiting for her to open the door.

While waiting for her to come to the door, Jamie turned to glance around the hall, listening to the growing sound of her heels across her apartment floor. When the door opened behind him, he spun back around and nearly choked on his breath at the sight of the woman standing before him. Jamie Reagan was completely speechless.

Eddie was wearing an outfit she hadn't worn in quite some time, and definitely never in front of Jamie. The silver sequined tank top paired perfectly with the straight black leather skirt that stopped about mid-thigh. She hadn't put on her black leather jacket yet, but he recognized the silver strappy heels that Kara said made her calves look amazing as the source of the _clacking_ sound every time she took a step.

"Eddie, you—you look…" He literally couldn't find the words.

"That bad?" Eddie asked, turning back into her apartment to hide her subtle blush.

"No! No, you look great," he corrected. With difficulty, he stopped himself from watching her backside as she walked away from him, then he stepped inside and closed the door.

"That's what Kara thought you'd say," Eddie muttered with a smirk on her face, walking to the kitchen.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. You want a glass of water?"

"Sure. That'd be great." Admittedly, his mouth was a little dry.

Jamie gulped down the glass of water she handed him, then placed the empty glass on the counter between them.

"You think this'll be enough to catch the guy?" Eddie glanced down at herself as she asked, then back up at her partner.

"Well, I haven't seen what Kara is wearing tonight, but I think you'll definitely catch someone's attention. Just maybe more than the guy we're after." A smile played at Jamie's lips, but his stomach was twisting in knots as his eyes roamed her figure one last time. Then he reminded himself that she was his partner so he needed to act professionally, and cleared his throat.

"So, you and Kara ready to be bait tonight?"

"Oh, yeah. She's gonna look hot too! We stayed up past midnight, taking turns modeling outfits before we decided on something for both of us." Jamie's imagination went wild for a second, imagining Eddie modeling various outfits, but he snapped out of it quickly as she continued talking. "She's got some really tight, hunter green pants and a super cute, loose black camisole top that look amazing with a pair of black booties."

"Right," Jamie nodded. "I only understood about half of that. But all that matters is this guy thinks one or the other of you is attractive enough to set his sights on."

"Oh, he better! I haven't felt less like myself in this kind of outfit in a long time," Eddie replied with a derisive chuckle.

"Well, trust me, you look fantastic, even if you don't feel much like yourself." Jamie smiled softly at Eddie across the counter. He was trying not to think about how attracted to her he was in that moment, and failing miserably.

On the other side of the counter, Eddie smiled back at her partner then lowered her gaze sheepishly. Hearing him tell her how good she looked made her heart beat faster than it had in months. It was getting more difficult to deny her feelings for him, but the thought of having feelings that he didn't reciprocate scared her.

After a few other final preparations and another glass of water for Jamie, Eddie grabbed her leather jacket as Jamie made his way to the door. He waited behind her in the hall while she locked her apartment, then together they headed for the stairs. Jamie hailed a cab in front of her building then opened the door for Eddie to climb in.

As Jamie closed the car door behind himself, Eddie finished explaining their drop-off plan to the driver.

"So you'll drop him off a couple blocks away from the bar, but then stop right out front to drop me off, if that's not too much trouble."

"Lady, as long as I get paid, I don't care what secret you two are hiding," the driver replied drily.

Eddie opened her mouth to correct him, but Jamie put a hand on her knee in the darkness. When she turned to look at him, he gave her a look that clearly said, 'don't waste your breath,' so she closed her mouth and swallowed her words. Jamie's hand lingered on her knee a moment longer, then his fingertips twitched and all that was left was the residual warmth.

The two partners chatted casually but quietly, until the cab slowed down a couple blocks away from their office for the night, just after 9 o'clock.

Jamie leaned over the front seat to hand the driver some cash before opening the door.

"This should be enough to cover her too, plus a little extra. Thanks, man." Before closing the door, he winked at Eddie. "See you, shorty." Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he began walking the last two blocks to the bar, saying a silent prayer that nothing bad happened during this operation.

Just before he reached the door of the bar, he glanced around the block and spotted what he could only assume was the command van across the street. All four officers had a hidden earpiece comm in case there was any news to share with them, but they were one-way comms for this particular op.

Reaching for the door, Jamie heard Detective Blake in his ear. "Reagan, you're the last to arrive. Good luck, team." At this, he nodded his head twice, hoping someone in the van could see his response.

Upon entering the bar, he glanced around the room as though he was looking for someone. He made eye contact with Eddie for just a moment, but didn't allow his gaze to linger because she was already seated with Kara, then he looked around to find McKenna. Approaching the table where McKenna was waiting for him, he extended a hand to shake the one offered to him, then sat down to join his fellow officer.

… … … … …

As midnight approached, there still hadn't been anything exciting to report to Detective Blake. Jamie and McKenna had been taking turns getting drinks at the bar, though they had an arrangement with the bartender so they got nonalcoholic drinks since they were technically on duty.

From their table, the men could see that Eddie and Kara were doing a great job acting natural. Eddie had already been twice to get refills on their drinks (also nonalcoholic), while Kara had gone once, and they had each been to the restroom once already. They had also spent some time on the dance floor, since the table they had selected was somewhat secluded.

While the ladies were dancing to an upbeat pop song, Jamie told McKenna that he was going to the restroom, which actually meant 'I'm going to take a lap around the room to look for anything or anyone suspicious'. Crossing the dance floor, he made a point of cutting through the crowd directly behind Eddie.

"Excuse me, ma'am," he said just loud enough for her to hear as he placed a hand on her bare shoulder. When she turned to look at him, he smiled at her mischievously then continued on his way to the restroom. Eddie couldn't help the smile that broke across her face as she watched him depart. She reluctantly turned back to Kara, who was giving her a knowing look with a bit of a smirk.

A few minutes later, Jamie casually exited the restroom and began walking down the long hallway back to his post with McKenna. Eddie was walking toward him on her way to the restroom while Kara went back to their table. He allowed himself to watch her figure for just a second, then looked up like he was looking around the space once again.

Glancing past Eddie's shoulder to the bar, Jamie caught a glimpse of someone he thought he recognized. Her hair was darker and longer than it was when he had known her. Tonight she wore it in loose waves past her shoulders, similar to the way Eddie often wore hers after tour. But seeing her didn't stop him in his tracks like it once did. Instead, it sent a wave of panic through him.

"Bianca?"

Eddie couldn't hear his whispered question over the music, but she saw his lips move and gave him a brief, puzzled look. At that exact moment, Bianca looked up. Before she could lock eyes with him and recognize the face she was looking into, Jamie sprung into action, trying to hide his face and preserve his cover for the sake of the night's operation.

Acting quickly, Jamie took a step closer to Eddie in the hallway and placed a hand on her waist to press her against the wall. She let out a surprised yelp, but he ignored it. Instead, he buried his head in her neck and the palm of his free hand rested on the wall next to her shoulder. Then he whispered in her ear.

"Just play along for a minute." A second later, his breath caught in his throat when Eddie's thumb twitched across his bare stomach. His hand on her waist tightened, his fingertips digging in to the soft part of her hip.

When Jamie suddenly pushed her toward the wall and Eddie's hand instinctively flew to his waistline to catch her balance, neither of them realized her hand had slid under his untucked t-shirt. That is, until her fingers began moving of their own volition, exploring the warmth of his skin ever so slightly. He choked on his own breath again and Eddie breathed out a chuckle when she realized she was causing his reaction.

"What seems to be the problem, officer?" A smile played at her lips as she teased her partner. To passerby, it appeared she was simply enjoying his lips on her neck.

"God, Eddie, I—" he started to reply, but cut himself short before he told her what he was really thinking, how she was making him feel.

"You…what?" She seemed hesitant to ask, but her fingertips were still grazing his skin delicately under his t-shirt, as though she had no control over their actions.

"Uh. N-nothing," Jamie stuttered out. "Just saw someone from my UC days and didn't want her to blow our cover." He lifted his head from her shoulder and looked at her face for a moment, dropping his hand from her waist as he did so.

" _Her_?" Eddie asked. She finally retrieved her hand from under his shirt, and tried to hide her growing suspicion of this mystery woman that Jamie felt compelled to hide from. "Secret love affair, Reagan?" She raised an eyebrow at him and Jamie glanced back at the bar to see if Bianca was still watching him. From what he could tell, she was no longer standing in eyesight of the hallway, so he deemed himself safe for the moment.

"Umm. Not exactly," he answered with a shrug, looking back at Eddie again. "She was a pretty good kisser, but not really my type, as it turns out." Leaving her with a wink and a smirk, Jamie sauntered back to the corner table he had been posted at for the night, hoping the shadows would be enough to hide him in case Bianca went looking for him.

… … … … …

A few hours later, when they were given the signal to shut it down for the night, Jamie got up from his table and started to make his way to the door. From behind, he heard a voice he hadn't heard in years.

"Jimmy?" Bianca placed a hand softly on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

Without turning around, Jamie tried to let her down gently.

"Sorry, ma'am. My name's not Jimmy."

He felt her hand slide from his shoulder to his wrist and tug him around to face her.

"Jimmy," she said again, this time not a question. When he looked at her, he could see pleading in her eyes. "It's been years." He thought he detected a hint of hurt in her voice.

"Bianca," Jamie said softly, leaning in close to her ear so no one else could hear. "I'm not your guy. Ok? I'm not Jimmy." Straightening up, he gave her what he hoped was an apologetic look. "Take care, ma'am." He tugged his hand away gently and turned back toward the door. That's when he saw Eddie staring back at him.

Eddie quickly turned away and began making her way toward the door as well, exiting ahead of Jamie. When he reached the sidewalk outside the bar, Eddie was standing next to a cab as Kara climbed in first for their ride back to the precinct. She turned and gave him a hard look, then climbed into the cab behind Kara.

Something in her eyes made his stomach turn, but he couldn't exactly put a finger on it. He hoped he could figure it out soon though, because he didn't particularly like the look he had just received. Just then, McKenna placed a hand on his shoulder and the two officers turned in the direction of the subway so they could join the ladies at the precinct to debrief for the night.

… … … … …

After the team finished their discussion of the night, the four officers agreed to be at the bar around the same time the next night for another try, then went their separate ways. Out on the street, Eddie was several paces ahead of Jamie and showing no signs of waiting for him. He had to jog a little to catch up to her.

"Mind if I walk with you?" he asked carefully.

"You don't need to escort me. I can take care of myself." She slowed her pace just the slightest.

"I know that, but my car is at your place," he reminded her. She just glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and kept walking.

"What's wrong, Janko?" She rarely acted this cold with him. He was certain there was something bothering her.

"Nothing is wrong, Reagan," she answered, eyes not wavering from the path ahead of her.

"Eddie," he tried to put a hand on her arm, but she slipped through his grasp.

"I said, it's nothing." He knew her well enough to know there was something she wasn't telling him, but she obviously didn't want to talk about it, so he dropped it.

The partners walked on in silence for most of the trek back to Eddie's apartment building. Jamie trailed a few feet behind her, in an attempt to give her some space and let her temper cool off, but he never let her get too far ahead.

Once they reached her block, she came to an abrupt stop. Jamie nearly crashed into her, as he was watching his feet, rather than her. Just as he was regaining his composure from the near collision, she spun on him.

"What was that all about?"

"What was what all about?" The look of utter confusion on his face told her he wasn't just acting.

"Back at the bar. As we were leaving." Eddie hoped she didn't sound jealous, but she hadn't convinced herself that she wasn't, so she knew he wouldn't be fooled either.

"Nothing. A case of mistaken identity." A lame excuse and he knew it. There was no way she was going to buy that.

"Mistaken identity? It definitely looked like you knew each other." Dropping all pretense of not being jealous, Eddie crossed her arms and leveled him with a disbelieving look.

"I told you," Jamie began, then lowered his voice slightly. "She knows me as Jimmy Riordan. But that was a long time ago. Jimmy isn't around anymore, so whatever was between her and Jimmy is history now," he finished with a shrug.

Eddie's gaze softened a little, but not entirely. "Is that all?"

"Of course, Janko." He ducked his head slightly so he could look her in the eyes, and then he gasped quietly. "Wait a second. Were you jealous?" His face broke into a teasing grin.

"Absolutely not," Eddie protested. She tried to keep walking, but he grabbed her arm and turned her back to face him. Knowing he wouldn't let it go, she lowered her gaze before continuing. "I'm not calling it jealousy."

"Oh-ho, is that right? I seem to recall hearing those exact words from you once before."

She tried to hide her embarrassment behind her hand, but he reached up and pulled it away from her face.

"Like I said, turns out she wasn't my type." He gave her one of his signature grins that melted her every time. "Maybe she was Jimmy's type, but not mine." She rolled her eyes, then spun around and started walking again.

"So what exactly is your type, Reagan?" As he opened his mouth to respond, she shot a hand up to stop him. "Wait. I don't think I want to know, actually." Glancing over at him out of the corner of her eye, she saw him smile and shake his head at her.

Much sooner than either of them would have liked, they reached Eddie's building. Jamie wondered for a moment if he should offer to walk her upstairs, or ask to use the restroom for an excuse to go up, but decided it was better if they said goodnight outside. The pair paused on the sidewalk near his car.

"So," Jamie started. "I'll see you tomorrow night."

"Actually," Eddie corrected him, "since it's nearly 5 o'clock in the morning, you'll see me tonight." She chucked him on the shoulder playfully, then took a step backward toward her building. "Go home, Reagan. Get some sleep."

"Yeah. Sleep. Sweet dreams, Janko."

Catching a glimpse of her eyes in the city lights just before she turned away, Jamie felt a lump form in his throat. This one was difficult to swallow. Rooted to the spot, he waited until she was inside before turning back to his car for the drive to his apartment.

Their conversation had brought back many old memories, making it easy to remember the way he used to feel around Bianca, and how hard it had been to try to keep his distance from her once upon a time. This time, pushing her away had been easy, effortless, despite feeling somewhat guilty about hurting her feelings. Deep down, he knew he'd never be able to push Eddie away so easily.

Unlocking his apartment door 20 minutes later, he sent a quick text to Eddie, despite the time.

_J: Home, safe and sound. Zzz._

As he was stepping out of his jeans, he heard a short jingle from his phone.

_E: Good. Sleep tight. :)_

Smiling at his phone, he quickly typed out a reply.

_J: Don't let the bed bugs bite. ;)_

The moment he hit send, his stomach twisted up in knots. They frequently sent each other 'made it home safe' messages following after-tour drinks, but he couldn't recall a time when those messages crossed over into 'good night' endearments and flirty emoticons. Maybe that was too far, he worried.

As if Eddie was reading his mind all the way from her apartment, she sent one last reply for the night.

_E: :)_

Knowing there would be little sleep on his end, Jamie pulled the blinds closed and climbed into bed for a few hours rest before he was back at the bar with Eddie and the others. Closing his eyes, with a smile on his face, all he could think about was the feeling of Eddie's fingers under his t-shirt.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hi there, folks! Thank you so much for the kind words on the first chapter and the patience in waiting for this next installment. It took me a little while to decide where I wanted to go with this, but I hope you all like it.
> 
> Disclaimer: Still don't own anything related to this show or the characters. Still just a fan trying to indulge my muse.

The next night at the bar was more of the same. No sign of the perp, but no sign of Bianca either. For that, Jamie was glad. He really didn’t want to risk blowing the current operation, or put anyone in danger by accidentally bringing Jimmy Riordan back from the dead.

The only hiccup of the night was less than an hour before they were set to shut down for the night. A guy that Jamie had seen get shot down by a couple other women already approached Eddie while Kara made a trip to the restroom. Jamie watched as Eddie glanced over the guy’s shoulder to where he was sitting with McKenna. He dropped his eyes down to the drink in his hand, then looked up inconspicuously through his eyelashes.

When the guy realized she was looking in Jamie’s direction, he turned to look for himself, then looked back at her. Jamie could see Eddie’s lips moving, but couldn’t make out what she was saying. A moment later, Kara returned and Eddie slipped her arm around the female officer’s waist. They smiled at each other then looked back at the guy, who shrugged his shoulders but didn’t move otherwise. Moving in sync, both women shook their head, then turned to walk away. Jamie was shocked to see Eddie’s hand dip down into the back pocket of Kara’s jeans. Nearly choking on his drink, he made a mental note to make sure he got the whole story later.

… … … … …

Back at the precinct for another debriefing, Eddie and Kara walked the halls, arm in arm, laughing hysterically.

Jamie and McKenna caught up to them just outside the conference room.

“What’s so funny?” McKenna asked. Jamie fixed his gaze on Eddie and his heart beat raced at the way her eyes shone with her laughter.

Kara pushed open the conference room door, where Detective Blake and his partner were waiting for them. As the officers all took their seats, Kara finally answered the question. “Oh, man. That beef cake guy! He was relentless!”

The female officers laughed again, but Blake looked at them with confusion written all over his face. “Wait, you two saw our guy?”

“No,” Eddie supplied. “Some other guy tried to hit on me while Kara was in the restroom. I guess he saw me glance at these two,” she said, pointing her thumb at Jamie and McKenna, “and asked if I was ‘with one of those two losers.’” She used her fingers to make air quotes and shrugged her shoulders when Jamie looked outrageously offended.

“Losers? Really?” Jamie shook his head, but McKenna chuckled quietly.

“His words, not mine. Anyway, I told him you were my brother and cousin, and very protective. But he didn’t seem to get the hint, so when Kara came back,” Eddie tried to continue, but didn’t get very far before she was overcome with her giggles.

“When I came back,” Kara resumed telling the story, “she wrapped her arm around my waist and told the guy I was her girlfriend. Which, unfortunately, didn’t seem to bother him at all. It’s not like we could tell him we were cops working undercover, so we just told him ‘no’ and walked away,” she finished with a shrug and a laugh.

Looking rather disinterested, Blake spoke up when it was obvious their story time was over. “So you didn’t see our guy. Anything else to report?”

All four officers shook their heads.

“Ok, well good work tonight. We’ll try again tomorrow and then reassess if there’s no sign of him tomorrow.” With that, Blake and his partner left and all four officers stood to follow him.

Because they hadn’t traveled to the bar together, there was no reason for Jamie to accompany Eddie home. Except that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the knowledge that she’d be walking alone dressed the way she was. He told himself he was being a good partner, looking out for her, when he asked if he could walk part of the way with her. She simply nodded her head with a demure smile.

“Well that was a nice save tonight, Officer Janko,” Jamie began, attempting to sound casual.

“What save?” Eddie asked with a smirk.

“Your brother? Really? We don’t even look anything alike.”

“Oh, I never said which of you was my brother and which was my cousin,” she replied slyly. “You would definitely be more like my cousin.” The flirty look in her eyes that he loved so much was back.

“Is that right? And Kara? Since when are you into girls?” His words were playful, but his voice was skeptical.

Eddie raised an eyebrow and asked, “Who’s jealous now?”

Caught off guard by the question, Jamie stuttered to form a response. “Wh-what? I’m not jealous.”

“Right. You didn’t sit up straighter when you saw that guy come up to me? And your hands didn’t clinch your drink tighter?” Eddie was grinning ear to ear. Sometimes Jamie hated how well she knew him.

“Definitely not,” he replied, but with less conviction than he would have liked.

“I’m gonna ask McKenna tomorrow!”

“Ok, fine. So maybe I wasn’t thrilled that he seemed to have set his sights on you.” He could see Eddie nodding out of the corner of his eye. “But we have a job to do. That guy could have messed that up for us.”

“Oh, right. Of course. The job.” They both fell silent for a moment, then Eddie spoke up again.

“One more night. You think we’ll be able to catch this guy tomorrow?”

“I sure hope so,” Jamie began. “I’m starting to feel useless, sitting at a table, drinking Shirley Temples, and watching you and Kara dance around all night while _not_ catching the bad guy,” he finished with a huff, clearly frustrated.

“You mean you’re not enjoying watching us dance around all night?” Her tone was flirty again, but she was just trying to lighten the mood. He gave her a disapproving look and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“I just want to be able to do my job. Which is catching bad guys.”

“Well, if we don’t get him tomorrow, you can ask to be put back on patrol after that.”

“Do you want to be back on patrol?” Jamie asked carefully.

“I want to catch this guy. He’s attacked too many women to be left on the streets. I’ll work this op as long as the brass will let me, until he’s caught.”

“Then I’m staying on the op, too.” Eddie gave him a questioning look, since he basically just said he wanted out. “We’re partners, right? We do this together or not at all. I got your back,” he finished with a shrug.

Eddie’s face lit up in a smile and he couldn’t help but smile back. Soon, he realized he needed to look away before her smile put some sort of spell on him. When he looked around, he noticed that they were nearly to her apartment building, well past the subway stop he intended to take.

“Dang. Looks like I missed the subway. Guess I’ll be getting some extra steps this morning,” he finished with a lighthearted laugh.

“I can give you a ride home, since we’re so close to my car,” Eddie offered with a shrug. “You’d get home faster.”

“Nah, I’ll be alright,” he said while taking a couple steps backward. “See you later, Janko. You better bring your A game this time, if we’re gonna get this guy.” He laughed again, then turned back in the direction of the subway.

“I always do, Reagan!” 

… … … … …

That night, around 8 o’clock, Jamie parked his car outside the precinct. Because the first two nights had been unsuccessful in catching this guy, Detective Blake decided to have another last minute briefing to discuss plan and strategy.

Just as Jamie was reaching the conference room the team had been using for their briefing meetings, he heard several male officers wolf whistle down the hall. Hoping to find Kara the subject of the whistles, he turned around. Eddie’s cheeks were flushed, but from embarrassment or anger, he wasn’t quite sure.

“Don’t. Say. A word,” Eddie growled as she got within earshot of Jamie, her finger pointing at his chest to make her point.

“What? I’m not the one who just whistled at you!” Jamie threw his hands up in surrender, but he could understand why some of the guys would react that way. Wearing tight jeans and a flowy tank top similar to the one he recalled from the night of their kiss with heels that brought her up almost to his height, he thought she looked amazing. Once again, he had to remind himself that she was his partner and he was to act professionally where she was concerned.

Eddie just scoffed and pushed her way into the room before him. Kara and McKenna were already seated, so they were just waiting for the detectives to arrive.

About 30 minutes later, the four officers left the precinct and began walking to the bar. After a couple blocks, the ladies separated themselves from the men so they wouldn’t arrive at the same time, but somehow they got the timing wrong. Jamie and McKenna reached the door just moments before Eddie and Kara, so always the gentleman, Jamie pulled open the door and stepped aside to allow the ladies to enter ahead of him.

Kara stepped up with a smile and a polite ‘thank you,’ trying to pretend she didn’t know the two guys holding the door for her. Eddie smiled too, but she also raised her eyebrows at him questioningly. Jamie just nodded his head at her once in answer, eliciting a short, quiet laugh from her. After she crossed the threshold, the guys followed her inside and found a table of their own in the corner.

What none of the officers noticed was a petite woman with blue eyes getting out of a smart town car just feet away, where she saw the whole exchange. Bianca felt certain the blonde she just saw Jimmy hold the door for was the same woman he had shoved up against the wall two nights before. He may not want to speak to her, but she was going to have a chat with the blonde.

… … … … …

A while later, Eddie told Kara she’d be right back and left their table for the restroom.

When she exited a stall, she saw a woman who looked vaguely familiar touching up her lipstick.

“How well do you know Jimmy?” The woman asked her question to Eddie’s reflection.

Startled, Eddie looked at the woman. “Hmm? I don’t know a—“ Suddenly, she recognized the woman as the one Jamie had spoken to at the end of the first night, the one he said knew him as Jimmy Riordan. “Uh. Don’t know a Jimmy, sorry,” Eddie finished lamely, then looked down to wash her hands.

“I saw you two at the door tonight. You had a whole conversation without saying a word.” Eddie’s head shot up to look at her, but the woman didn’t wait for a response. “He’s a great guy. Don’t let him get away.” With that, she left the room and left Eddie stunned.

Still feeling slightly dazed, Eddie left the restroom and stopped at the bar for a drink. Even though she knew she couldn’t have alcohol on duty, she needed something to hold so her hands might stop shaking. Just as the bartender handed her a fresh drink, a good looking blond guy sat down on the stool next to her.

Across the room, Jamie watched the man approach his partner. He thought the guy fit the description of their suspect, but he couldn’t quite tell.

“McKenna,” he said, smacking the other officer on the arm. “Is that our guy? Can you tell?”

“I dunno, man, but you might be right. It does kinda look like him.” McKenna started to stand up for a better look. “Should we go over there?”

“No, no, no. We can’t risk blowing this whole thing,” Jamie put a hand on McKenna’s shoulder. “Tell you what. I’ll make a lap, go to the restroom. Try to get a look at him without being obvious. You go find Walsh but keep an eye on Janko.”

Jamie started making his way across the room, cutting through the dance floor to put some distance between himself and the bar. Because his eyes were mostly focused on the guy chatting up Eddie, he didn’t spot the familiar face trying to intercept him.

“You love her, don’t you?”

Jamie came to an abrupt stop and looked down at the woman in front of him, surprised to see her again so soon.

“Bianca? Wh-what are you doing here? What are you talking about?”

Bianca turned her attention to where Eddie still stood at the bar, then back to Jamie quickly.

“The blonde over there. I know you know her. I’m guessing she’s a cop too. And you’re in love with her.” 

Jamie stared back at her, dumbfounded. He opened his mouth to respond then closed it again when no words came out. He allowed himself to glance at Eddie over Bianca’s shoulder and that’s when the words came to him.

“She’s my best friend.” The truth, though not an admission or denial of his true feelings, or an acknowledgment of her profession.

Bianca nodded. “Just don’t wait too long to tell her how you feel, Jimmy. It was good to see you again.” She reached up to squeeze his upper arm, and then she was gone.

When Jamie finally came back to Earth, almost a minute later, he looked around and realized Bianca was no where to be seen. He was still trying to make sense of their conversation, but he couldn’t allow himself to dwell on it too long. He still needed to figure out if the guy talking to Eddie was the guy they were after.

Approaching the bar a few feet behind Eddie, he ordered a water to buy enough time to check the guy out. Suddenly, he heard Eddie’s laugh as she put a hand on the guy’s shoulder and pushed him away just slightly, giving Jamie a better view. The first feature Jamie noticed was the green eyes. Then the scar. The face was the same one from the police sketch back at the precinct. That was their guy.

Catching McKenna’s eye across the room, Jamie nodded his head a couple times, then turned around and walked to the restroom. Though not overly comfortable leaving Eddie alone with the creep, he knew they couldn’t arrest him just for talking to her. He had to make a move.

… … … … …

After taking a moment to regain his bearings and splash some cold water on his face, Jamie exited the restroom and openly searched the bar for Eddie and the perp. He found them still at the bar, but as he got closer, he saw Eddie’s face change. Uncertain what was happening, he slowed his pace and watched the pair.

Before he reached them, the guy slid his hand from Eddie’s shoulder to her hand and started to pull her out to the dance floor. Jamie could tell Eddie was trying very hard to control her facial expression when her eyes went blank looking at the guy’s hand on hers. Then she broke out of her daze and smiled up at him. Jamie’s stomach turned at the sight.

Keeping his eyes on Eddie at all times, Jamie made his way over to the table she had been sharing with Kara. He found Kara and McKenna sitting together, trying to look flirty and inconspicuous, keeping up the cover.

“That’s the guy,” Jamie told them. “We need to keep a close eye on them, make sure nothing happens to Janko.”

“We could go dance near them,” Kara suggested, jabbing a finger at McKenna.

McKenna nodded his head. “Yeah, Walsh and I can get within a few feet so we’re close enough to see when he makes a move, but make sure she’s safe.”

Jamie looked uncertain, but Kara put a hand on his arm. “She’ll be fine, Jamie. Let her do her job.”

Knowing she was right, Jamie nodded and took a seat at the table where he could watch the dance floor closely. Kara and McKenna started making their way out there themselves, but kept enough distance between themselves and Eddie that they didn’t give anything away.

As Jamie watched from his seat, he could see the guy’s hand slowly creeping lower on Eddie’s back. She deftly reached back and placed it higher, where it had been, with a laugh and a shake of her head. A few minutes later, it happened again. This time, Eddie didn’t laugh when she moved it. Jamie felt his stomach twisting. He couldn’t understand how any guy could treat a woman that way, ignoring her refusal of his advances.

The music switched to a faster song and the guy spun Eddie around then back into him so her back was to his chest. His hands landed on her hips and he pulled her closer. Jamie saw Eddie’s facial expression change. She was becoming uncomfortable, but it still wasn’t enough to arrest the guy. She just moved out of his grasp and turned back to face him.

Before the song could change again, Eddie put her hands on the guy’s shoulders so she could speak into his ear. Then she walked away in the direction of the ladies’ room. The guy stood there, watching her walk away, with a smile on his face for a while before he followed her.

Jamie immediately got up and walked to the bar where he could see what was happening in the hallway. From his vantage point, he could see the hallway to the restrooms was empty, except for Eddie and the suspect. As he watched, the guy got closer, then he grabbed Eddie’s wrist and spun her around to face him. She tried to push him away, but he was too strong. He just shoved her up against the wall, like Jamie had done only harder, and pressed his whole body into hers. Eddie kept trying to push him off, but couldn’t get enough leverage.

“Finally!” Jamie thought. “That’s enough to arrest the guy!”

“Stop!” He shouted over the music. “Police!”

Jamie ran the few feet to Eddie’s side and yanked the perp off of her. He slammed the guy into the opposite wall and reached for his cuffs in his back pocket. Behind him, McKenna came running up to assist him, while Kara checked on Eddie. She had slid down the wall, trying to catch her breath, once the guy was off of her.

“What’s your name?” Jamie shouted.

“Eric Walker,” the guy replied with a huff.

“Well, Eric Walker, if that’s your real name, you’re under arrest for assaulting a police officer,” McKenna informed him. “And a whole lot more than that once our witnesses ID you as their attacker.”

“No way! She’s too hot to be a cop!”

“You shut your mouth! Get him out of here,” Jamie thundered, and McKenna shoved the guy ahead of him out of the bar. Kara helped Eddie stand up, then followed McKenna out to the van with Walker.

“You okay, Janko?” Jamie stepped toward Eddie and began looking her over for cuts and bruises.

“Uh. Yeah. I’m fine,” Eddie replied in a much more subdued voice than normal, looking at her hands.

“Eddie.” Jamie lightly placed a hand on her shoulder, but immediately withdrew it when she flinched at his touch.

“I’m fine, Jamie. Let’s just get out of here so we can book this creep.” Without meeting his eye, Eddie pushed past her partner and stalked out of the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I mentioned last time that if I continued, it would likely only be one more chapter. Well, surprise! I'm working on chapter 3!
> 
> There were requests for more Jamko (over on FF.net), which of course was the whole basis of this story. But I personally find it difficult to write canon divergence for any fandom and generally stay away from it, so while there are hints and insinuations, they do not actually hook up, in compliance with canon. The next chapter will definitely have some Jamko fluff though, so there is that to look forward to. :)
> 
> Again, I hope you've enjoyed the story so far and hopefully I'll have chapter 3 completed soon. Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! I love hearing from y'all!!
> 
> -Bethany


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hello again, and welcome to the final installment of Eyes in the City Lights. My apologies for taking so long with this one; I was battling some writer's block and indecisiveness. :/ But here we are! Thank you for waiting so patiently. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> This one dips into OOC-territory, but it is fan fic after all. I hope you can forgive me.
> 
> Disclaimer: Yet again, I don't own anything. I'm still just a fan.

Back at the precinct, Walker was booked and identified by no less than three previous victims Detective Blake had called in when the arrest was made. Eddie made her statement, just like the other officers, and answered any and all questions posed to her without hesitation. Thankfully, no one had to draw a weapon, so the process was much quicker than after a shooting, but it still seemed to drag on forever.

Kara and McKenna were released much faster than Jamie and Eddie, as Jamie was the arresting officer and Eddie had been the victim. What felt like hours later, Jamie knocked softly on the door to the ladies' locker room. When he heard a faint reply from the other side, he cracked the door open and poked his head in to find Eddie sitting on the bench, staring blankly at the bank of lockers in front of her.

"Hey, Eddie. It's getting late. You want a ride home?"

Eddie slowly looked up at him, almost as though she was confused to see him there. "Um. Yeah. Thanks." She stood up and grabbed her bag from the bench.

Jamie opened the door and stood aside to let her exit. He carefully opened every door between the locker room and his car for her, a conscious effort this time, almost like he was trying to make up for Walker's behavior in an attempt to remind her that not all guys were like that creep. He was also careful not to touch or bump into her at all, afraid that she might jump out of her skin again if he did. He hadn't liked that reaction from her at the bar and hoped to never be on the receiving end of it again.

As he turned the key in the ignition, Eddie spoke up without looking at him. "Do you mind—um, could we go to your place for a little while? I just…don't want to be home alone…right now."

"Of course," Jamie nodded. "Should we order some food?" She looked up at him with a gleam in her eye at the mention of food.

"Pizza from Dellarocco's?"

"Perfect. Just get our usual." As Eddie pulled out her phone to place their order—one red pizza, half Vegetable, half Salsiccia—Jamie carefully pulled the car into the road and started making his way to the restaurant.

… … … … …

Before long, they were pulling up at Jamie's apartment, pizza in hand, and Eddie seemed to be feeling somewhat better. By the time they sat down to eat, she was joking and laughing with him like normal, but as Jamie cleaned up their empty plates, she became more subdued again.

"You know," Jamie began, returning to his seat beside her on the couch, "you make me nervous when you get quiet like that."

Eddie looked over at him, her face etched with confusion.

"Always makes me wonder if you're up to something," he said with a shrug and an attempt at a smirk.

"Nah," she replied. "Just thinking. I just—I don't…understand how…" She struggled to find the words.

"How a guy can treat a woman that way and not feel like a monster?" Jamie supplied.

"Exactly! It just doesn't make any sense to me!"

"Believe me, it doesn't make sense to me either," he assured her. "And watching him treat you like that—ugh! It made my stomach turn. I mean, I couldn't hear anything you said to him, but your actions were definitely saying no, even if your words weren't."

"I'm sure it didn't help that you can read me like a book, huh?" She laughed softly and looked at her fingers. "No telling what my face was telling you from across the room."

"Oh, your face told me a lot. Probably more than you would have wanted it to."

Jamie leaned back into the couch with his arm across the back, waiting for her to say something. When she stayed quiet, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder. Without looking at him, she leaned in to lay her head on his shoulder.

"We're not all like that, you know," he spoke quietly into her hair.

"I know," she whispered. "Just seems to be the only kind of guy I can attract."

At that, Jamie made her sit up so he could look her in the eye.

"Janko, you know that's not true!" When she gave him a skeptical look, he continued. "We've already established that you're smart and beautiful." She allowed herself a short, derisive laugh at the memory of that conversation. "And you said it yourself. You're a catch, Eddie. And one hell of a cop! Any guy who wants to treat you like Walker did tonight—the way Singer did—is the worst kind of guy there is and absolutely doesn't deserve you."

Eddie's mouth twitched and a tear rolled down her cheek quietly.

"How did you know…that I was thinking about him?"

"I can read you like a book, remember?" Jamie shrugged. "I saw your face change every single time Walker put his hands on you. I figured that's where your mind was going because that was the first place my mind went when your face went blank."

A few more silent tears rolled down her face.

"I was fine with this whole thing…the entire operation…until he started getting grabby. And some of the things he said." She shook her head and stared at her hands. "He was so swarthy and charming…just like Jake. That's when it all started to get to me. I was trying so hard to keep it together."

"Eddie, you were amazing. You did your job, and because of you, Walker will go to prison for a very long time. All his other victims can rest easy knowing he can't get to them anymore. You should be proud of yourself!"

She sat there quiet for a minute, then slowly lifted her head to look him in the eye.

"Thank you." There was a twinkle in her eye that hadn't been there moments before.

"For what?"

"For watching my back. I'm lucky to have a partner and friend like you, who always looks out for me and lets me do my job."

For the first time, Jamie was deeply bothered by her use of the word 'friend' to describe him, but he pushed the feeling down quickly.

"Any time. It's what partners do, right?" He put his arm around her shoulders again and pulled her to him, where she settled her head on his shoulder again.

"Alright," Eddie said, sitting up a couple minutes later. "Enough mushy talk. Let's watch some SportsCenter." Reaching over for the remote on the table, she didn't see the smile on Jamie's face fading at the loss of contact.

… … … … …

A couple hours later, they were still sitting on the couch with the tv on, though they had both fallen asleep. Eddie woke up slowly, lifting her head from the armrest of the couch, trying to relieve the ache in her neck. She looked over to see Jamie sitting straight up with one arm still draped across the back of the couch and a pillow behind his head.

Rather than waking him to bring her home, she just looked around for a throw blanket she knew he kept nearby and curled up next to him, her head on the cushion beside his thigh. It wasn't the first time one of them had crashed at the other's apartment, and she really didn't want to be in her apartment alone, with the memories of Walker so fresh. She told herself she'd leave when the sun came up, and there weren't as many shadows for the monsters to hide.

Jamie barely moved while she was readjusting her position, exhausted now that their undercover stint was finally over with successful results. Despite his exhaustion, he still dreamed about Eddie, falling asleep with her head on his chest and his arm wrapped around her. When dream-Eddie snuggled in closer, Jamie hummed in his sleep. The humming penetrated Eddie's own dreams and caused her to shift in her sleep, moving her head from the couch cushion beside Jamie to resting on his lap. Her body recognized the added warmth and she settled in, still fully asleep and quite comfortable.

Some time later, Jamie's eyes fluttered open as the sunlight began peeking through the curtains. He picked his head up from the pillow on the back of the couch and slowly took in his surroundings. He noted that, sometime during the night, Eddie's head ended up in his lap, using him as a pillow. She had the blanket draped over her legs and torso with her feet stretched across the couch, touching the other end. Jamie's hand had somehow migrated to rest on her shoulder while they slept.

Confused, he slowly removed his hand so as not to wake her. She looked peaceful and he was happy she'd been able to get some sleep. Checking his watch, he found it was barely 6 AM, so he just placed his arm on the back of the couch once again and waited patiently for Eddie to wake up. He watched as the sun rose higher and shifted across her bare shoulder. Her bag containing a change of clothes had been left in his car, so she was still wearing the clothes from the bar last night.

Suddenly, Eddie jerked in her sleep, her head thrashing around as her legs tangled in the blanket. Jamie tried to put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. She jolted up and managed to kick the blanket off.

"Hey, hey, hey. Eddie. You're okay. It's just me—Jamie." He held his hands up, but didn't move otherwise. He knew from experience that when she woke up in this state, it was best for her to come back to reality on her own.

"Oh, God. Jamie, I'm sorry." She held her head in her hands and tried to regain composure. "I must have been dreaming."

"It's alright. You didn't punch me or anything," Jamie chuckled, trying to lighten the mood a little. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

"It's just…" she began, then shook her head and looked up at him. "It was both of them. I was walking down the hall at the bar and Walker was coming toward me, so I turned around. But then Jake was there, blocking my way. I couldn't get away."

He saw a single tear roll down her cheek again. Unable to stop himself, he reached up and wiped it away with his thumb.

"Hey. You're fine. You're safe. Neither of them can get to you or anyone else for a long time." His hand came to rest on her upper arm. "How about you go grab a shower? You didn't even wash the bar out of your hair last night," he suggested, trying to make a joke. "I'm sure you'd like to put on some different clothes."

"My bag. It's still in your car. I'll go get it."

"No," Jamie protested. "I can go get it. You go start the water and I'll be right back."

He got up from the couch and grabbed his keys from the table near the door, leaving her alone for the first time since he found her in the locker room at the precinct. Just a few minutes later, he opened his apartment door to the sounds of the shower running. Walking toward the bathroom, he called out to her to warn her he was back.

"Eddie? I've got your bag. Want me to drop it inside the…door?" He stopped when he realized the door to the bathroom was wide open, but Eddie wasn't inside. Taking another few steps, he noticed her sitting on the corner of his bed, wearing his Harvard hoodie.

"Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" By this point, he had reached the bed and sat down beside her.

"I stole your hoodie. I just…I started the water in the shower and then I saw my reflection in the mirror. I saw that damn shirt I was wearing and my smudged eyeliner and the bruise on my arm."

"Bruise?" Jamie interrupted. "What bruise?" He didn't recall seeing any bruises, having checked her arms for discoloration more than once when she wasn't paying attention.

"I dunno. It's not too bad, I guess. It must have happened when he shoved me against the wall. But I just couldn't stand it. I ran out of the bathroom and found myself in here. When I saw your hoodie on the bed, I didn't even think. Just put it on." Eddie pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she spoke. "I'll give it back after I shower. Unless you want me to take it home and wash it for you. I just…it looked comforting." Finally, she smiled at him nervously and breathed out a short laugh.

"It's fine, Eddie," Jamie laughed a little himself. "You can keep it, if you want. I have two or three of those things. Lucky for you, you picked my favorite one," he said, plucking at the sleeve a little.

"Well then I have to give it back, if it's your favorite." She laid her cheek on her knee and looked at him sideways.

"I'm kidding, Janko! Seriously, keep it. Now go take a shower. I can smell you from here," he laughed again, giving her arm a soft shove.

"Excuse me! I don't smell that bad!" Her head shot up and her feet fell to the floor in indignation.

"Again, kidding! Now go. There might be breakfast waiting when you get out." He started walking back to the kitchen, but not before he caught sight of the excitement on her face.

"Omelettes and bacon with pancakes?" If her face didn't give away her excitement, her voice definitely did.

"What else, Janko?" Jamie called over his shoulder.

… … … … …

Eddie may have been excited about the breakfast Jamie was working on—he knew all her favorites, after all—but she took her time with her shower. She objectively studied the bruise on her arm, which wasn't as bad as she first thought it was, and made sure to collect her dirty clothes into her bag so she didn't leave anything behind. At some point, she had started carrying small travel sized bottles of her hair products and body wash, just in case this exact situation ever came up. She didn't consider herself to be a very girly girl, but she refused to use that three-in-one body wash/face wash/shampoo stuff that most men used.

Nearly an hour later, she finally exited the bathroom, wearing a fresh pair of jeans and Jamie's stolen hoodie. Her hair was down around her shoulders and mostly dry, considering Jamie didn't own a blowdryer, and she hadn't bothered putting any makeup on. Hearing her footsteps behind him, Jamie started gathering plates and utensils.

"About time, Janko. It's starting to get—" When he turned around to face her, his breath caught in his throat. He had seen Eddie with and without makeup, in her uniform and street clothes, dressed up and dressed down, but in that moment, he thought she had never looked more beautiful.

"Starting to get what, Reagan?" She reached around him and grabbed a plate and a fork from the counter behind him.

"Uh," Jamie cleared his throat. "Cold. It's starting to get cold."

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's eat. I'm starving." She added her ham and cheese omelette to her plate, leaving behind the spinach omelette that was obviously for Jamie, and piled on several slices of bacon. Then she grabbed another plate for her short stack of pancakes and brought them both to Jamie's dining table.

As Jamie quietly prepared his own plates, Eddie's phone started to ring.

"Huh," she said, looking at the name on the screen. "Hey, Kara. What's up?"

Jamie tried not to listen to her conversation while he poured them each a cup of coffee.

"That's sweet of you, but I'm fine…Actually, I slept better than I have in a while…No, I'm not just telling you what you want to hear…Well, I was just about to sit down to breakfast…Umm, I don't know if I feel like going out tonight. Maybe another time?…Sure, I'll call if I need anything. Thanks, Kara."

"Everything alright?" Jamie asked as he made his way over to the table with their coffee mugs.

His chest swelled with pride slightly at her remark about sleeping better, hoping he had something to do with that. But the huff she made when she set her phone down beside her plate told him something was bothering her.

"Just Kara checking in on me," she said irritatedly.

"Why do you sound annoyed by that?"

"Because I am. Not that she called—she's just being a good friend—but that it was so obvious that the Walker thing got to me last night. I hate the idea that anyone might think I'm too soft for this job."

Jamie tilted his head and opened his mouth to argue, but she cut him off before he could say anything.

"Plus, I get the feeling that she thinks I'm hiding something from her," Eddie said, taking a bite of omelette.

"Hiding something? Like what?"

"Like the fact that I stayed here last night. And that I'm still here." Shrugging her shoulders, she started cutting up her omelette so she didn't have to look at him.

"So?" Jamie asked. He didn't understand why it would be such a big deal for her to sleep on his couch every now and then, or for him to sleep on hers. Not only were they adults, they had never been anything but professional—well, except for that one kiss—despite any feelings they might have had about each other. And it was no one's business what their relationship was off the clock. "Why would you need to hide that?"

"Come on, Reagan. Surely you've heard the rumors." She looked up in time to see him shaking his head. "Seriously? I bet every female officer in that precinct has asked me at least once if you're a good kisser."

He tilted his head a little and smiled. "Well am I? Honest opinion." He tried to dodge her smack to his arm, but wasn't fast enough, which made them both laugh.

"A few have asked how good you are in bed."

He raised his eyebrows in question at that. "They really think we're sleeping together?!"

"Some of them. I don't need to add fuel to that fire by letting Kara know I slept here last night. Not that I think she would intentionally tell people, but the less people who know, the better."

"I guess you're right," he agreed. He knew it wasn't always easy for her, being a female officer in the traditionally male dominated NYPD. He didn't want to stir up the rumor mill if it would cause her more grief, so he dropped the subject, though he was still slightly bothered that it had to be that way at all.

… … … … …

After they finished eating, Eddie offered to help Jamie clean up the kitchen. When the clean up was done, Jamie made his way to the bathroom for a shower of his own, letting her know he would bring her home when he got out, if that's what she wanted.

Returning to the living room half an hour later, he was surprised to see Eddie asleep on the couch again. She must have been completely worn out from the last three nights under cover, despite her comment to Kara about having slept better. That made him wonder just how poorly she'd been sleeping as of late.

Deciding it was best not to wake her, he sat on the floor in front of the couch since she was stretched across most of the cushions and tried to read for a little while. Before too long, however, the sunlight coming through the window and the quiet of the apartment lulled him to sleep as well.

What felt like just a few minutes later, he was jostled awake as Eddie started moving around frantically on the couch behind his head. He could also hear her whimpering and muttering in her sleep. By the time he was alert enough to make sense of the situation, she had rolled to face the back of the couch, but was still muttering something. He reached out and began rubbing circles on her back, which immediately calmed her down.

Hoping she would stay asleep if he kept rubbing her back, his mind wandered back to the first night she had asked him to stay at her apartment. He had stopped by to check on her a couple days after she'd had to kill someone in the line of duty for the first time, which she hadn't been dealing with well. He remembered waking up at 2 AM, hearing her screams from across the apartment. He ran to her side, but unable to wake her from the night terror, he had to force her to lay back down and began rubbing her back softly. When she woke up hours later and was startled to find him next to her in bed, he explained about her nightmare, but she didn't remember a thing about it.

He hadn't imagined, at the time, that he'd ever find himself once again in the position to comfort her exhausted and stressed brain during a nightmare, but as it turned out, he was pretty good at it. Within seconds, her breathing evened out again and she appeared to be sleeping peacefully again. Without removing his hand from where it rested between her shoulder blades, he dozed off as well, and neither of them woke up again until lunch time.

… … … … …

Eddie's growling stomach was what finally woke her up a couple hours later. Becoming more alert, she felt a slight pressure on her back that she couldn't place. Glancing over her shoulder, she found Jamie asleep, his head resting on the edge of the couch cushion her head had been on and his arm stretched out with his hand on her back. As she began to shift around, his hand fell to rest on the cushion.

When she had managed to roll over without waking him up, she watched his face for a moment and found herself running her fingers through his hair lightly before she could stop herself. He sighed in his sleep, but didn't wake up.

"Jamie," Eddie said softly. "Wake up, Reagan. I'm hungry." She lightly tapped his face with her palm a few times to get him to wake up.

"I just fed you, woman," he grumbled, not opening his eyes.

"Metabolism of a D1 football playing frat boy, remember?"

"Of course I remember," he answered, mildly irritated. "You never let me forget it."

Eddie laughed at that, and that's when he finally opened his eyes. With both of their heads resting on the same cushion, their faces were mere inches apart. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, before Eddie broke the silence.

"Hi, sleepyhead," she said, almost in a whisper.

"Hey. You had another nightmare," Jamie informed her.

"I did?" She sounded surprised. Her eyebrows furrowed as she propped her head up on the palm of her hand. "Was I screaming again?"

"No," he assured her, lifting his head from the couch as well. "Not this time. But you were tossing and turning, and muttering a little. I didn't try waking you up, since that didn't work last time."

"Is that why your hand was on my back?" The smirk on her face was teasing, but kind.

"Yeah. Your jostling around woke me up, so I just rubbed your back until you settled down. Then I fell asleep again too," he finished with a shrug.

"I don't remember any of that. I guess it's all the stress of the last few months that keeps causing these nightmares," she said with a shrug.

Jamie immediately thought of a few recent events that could be causing all this stress. He vividly remembered the day she was abducted after going off on the guy that had tried to kill him, finding her bound with duct tape in the back seat of the guy's car. Then of course there was the first time she had to kill someone. More recently, she had been very stressed when preparing for her first major undercover operation, and now this thing with Walker.

"I'm sorry I woke you up though. Twice," she finished sheepishly.

"It's fine. I'm just glad I could help. At least, it seemed like it helped."

"Well considering I don't even remember the dream, let alone anything you did or said outside of the dream, I'd say it was helpful." She pulled herself to sitting and tucked her legs in criss cross. "Better than waking up screaming, like I have been lately."

"How often does that happen, Eddie?" Jamie got up from the floor and sat beside her on the couch.

"Well. Uh. Not every night, but close enough." She was playing with her fingers and avoiding eye contact.

"Why didn't you tell me it was that bad? Have you tried taking anything or talking to anyone? You can't keep going on like that, if you aren't sleeping well." He was admonishing her like a child, which he hadn't intended to do, but he had no idea her nightmares had gotten so bad.

"Oh, I've tried everything. Melatonin and magnesium. Lavender oils and chamomile tea. Talked to my doctor about a prescription. Nothing works. Except—" Too embarrassed to say what was on the tip of her tongue, she stopped herself before she spilled her secret.

Unfortunately for her, it was Jamie Reagan she was talking to, so of course he wasn't going to let her off so easy.

"Except what, Janko? If there's something that helps, that's a good thing, right?"

Without looking up from her fingers, she muttered her reply, so low he couldn't quite understand her.

"What was that?"

"It's you. Okay? The only time I can sleep somewhat decently is when you're around." She stood up from the couch and started pacing the room. "It started that first night I asked you to stay with me. You asked me how long it had been since I slept. I was too embarrassed to tell you that I hadn't slept at all, because every time I closed my eyes, I saw him laying there in the snow. When I woke up the next morning feeling much better, it confused me when you said I had been screaming. I still have no memory of that. But the next night, when you weren't around, I screamed so loud, I actually woke myself up."

All Jamie could do was sit there and stare at her as he let her finish what she had to say.

"After that, I woke up either screaming or sweating three or four nights a week. If it wasn't that, I was waking up every two or three hours and struggling to go back to sleep. And then after I went undercover to find Ana Marcovic, you drove me home and we ordered Thai food, remember?" He nodded his head, but she didn't notice because she was still pacing. "We fell asleep on the couch and I didn't have any nightmares. I slept all night long."

She dropped down beside him heavily and put her head in her hands.

"It's like, my subconscious knows when you're there, and that makes me comfortable enough to let my guard down so I can actually sleep. I don't really understand it, but I've been trying to deal with it."

"Why didn't you tell me it was this bad, Eddie? Maybe I could have…"

He trailed off, but she finally turned to look at him.

"Could have what? Come to tuck me in every night and checked under my bed for monsters?" She laughed derisively, trying to brush him off. "I was already embarrassed that you had been there to witness me screaming that first night. It was hard enough to look you in the eye after that. I was sure that, every time you looked at me, all you could see was the screaming mess of a partner you had found that night."

"Eddie, I hope you don't think I would ever judge you for having nightmares. Our job can be very stressful. We see a lot of bad people doing bad things; sometimes we have to do bad things. But you should never be embarrassed to talk to me about any of it. We're partners, and I like to think that we're friends."

"We are friends," she cut him off.

"Then believe me when I say I care about you, Eddie. I care about your well being, and if you aren't sleeping, then that's something that needs to be taken care of. If I can help at all, I want you to always feel like you can come to me. I want to help."

"Jamie, you can't spend every night at my apartment just so I can sleep through the night." Just then, Eddie's stomach growled so loud, Jamie could hear it.

"We'll figure something out. I promise. But for now, let's get you some food. Wanna try that new Greek place down the street?" He stood up and reached a hand out to pull her up off the couch.

"Oooh. I've been wanting to try that place for weeks!" Eddie took his hand and jumped up excitedly.

Giving her hand a squeeze before letting go, Jamie smiled at his partner.

"I know. That's why I suggested it."

… … … … …

After lunch, Eddie decided it was time for her to go back to her own apartment, so Jamie drove her home once they stopped back at his place to retrieve her bag. He walked her upstairs, despite her protests, insisting he was a gentleman, and gentlemen never let a lady walk up to her apartment alone. She just rolled her eyes with a grin, but was again reminded how lucky she was to have him in her life.

"Well, you're home, Janko, safe and sound. I'll get out of your hair now. Call me if you need me, right? If you wake up and can't go back to sleep or something. Just call me."

"I will. Thank you, Jamie." With that, she stepped forward and threw her arms around his neck, nearly knocking him over with surprise.

"Hey. What's this for?" His hand came up to rest on the back of her head, holding her closer as he wrapped his other arm around her a little tighter.

"I dunno. For being you, I guess. I know I can be a lot to handle and now I'm burdening you with my insomnia troubles. You should have asked for a new partner a long time ago," she breathed into his chest.

Resting his cheek on the top of her head, he heaved a great sigh.

"Eddie, nothing about you is a burden. I lov—I like having you around. You're a great partner and you're my best friend. Besides, who else would put up with you the way I do?"

He held her at arm's length so he could take a long look at her face. As he did, she scrunched up her face in a smile.

"You were about to say you love me, weren't you? Nice save there, Reagan!"

"What?" He dropped his hands and took a step back. "No! Of course not!"

"It's fine. I heard the slip of the tongue. Don't worry about it. We spend a lot of time together and a lot of that time is in high stress situations. It was bound to happen eventually. Your secret is safe with me." She mimed zipping her lips and locking them before tossing the key over her shoulder.

"Sure, Janko. Whatever you say." He put one foot out the door, then called over his shoulder. "Just call if you need anything, alright? See you later."

Before he took two steps, Eddie poked her head around the door.

"Hey," she called to him.

He turned back to look at her with a smile.

"Love you, too." Leaving a startled and confused Jamie, she quickly closed the door with a huge grin on her face.

Jamie stood staring at her closed door for a moment, then turned to head out to his car. On the drive home, all he could think about was Eddie's smile as those words left her lips. He knew it would not be any time soon, but he hoped to one day have the courage to actually tell her that he loved her. If Bianca, a virtual stranger he hadn't seen in years, could see how he felt, it was time to admit it to himself. That thought made his heart beat so fast, it almost hurt.

Unlocking his door at home, he realized he had been smiling since he left Eddie's apartment. He heard his phone signal an incoming text message and found a picture from Eddie. She was curled up on her couch with a bowl of ice cream, still wearing his Harvard hoodie.

E: Thanks for the hoodie. It's so cozy. :)

Laughing quietly, he typed out his reply.

J: Glad I could break it in for you. ;) Enjoy it, because that's the only one you're getting. :P

The sight of her wearing his clothes made his heart race again. He knew, eventually, she'd be wearing any of his hoodies she wanted. Maybe not today, he thought. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day. One day we'll stop pretending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, there ya have it! Thank you so much for reading! I hope you've enjoyed this journey as much as I have! Please leave a review and let me know what you think.
> 
> For anyone who is curious, Dellarocco's is an actual restaurant in Brooklyn Heights. As I've never been to NYC, I just Googled popular pizza places in Brooklyn Heights and that was one of the top results. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: If you've gotten this far, thank you so much for reading! I really hope you've enjoyed it because it's been on my mind for several weeks and it feels good to have it out for others to read.
> 
> Now is where I need something from you, and this is something I almost never do. I have part of another chapter written for this, detailing the rest of the op to catch the bad guy. Should I continue?! It would likely only be one more chapter, but I'm having trouble finishing it. If you think I should go on until they catch this guy, let me know in a comment! If you think I should just leave it here, also let me know! Haha. If you just wanna tell me what you thought of this chapter, that's fine too! Either way, I can't wait to hear from you! :)


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